All Blog!

Climb aboard the 540-foot TS Kennedy for Sea Term 2018! Thanks to cadet blogs, captain’s logs, photographs, videos, and a unique hands-on curriculum, you will virtually travel with six-hundred cadets. Each day, you’ll read about and watch the shipboard responsibilities of Marine Engineering and Marine Transportation majors as they tackle challenging topics such as weather forecasting, celestial navigation, ocean currents, rust removal, engine maintenance, sewerage treatment, firefighting, and seawater desalination. You’ll feel like you’re right beside the cadets as the ship conducts anchoring drills off the coast of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico and delivers humanitarian aid to Ile a Vache, Haiti. Also aboard the TS Kennedy in 2018 will be thirteen cadets majoring in International Maritime Business and six cadets majoring in Marine Safety & Environmental Protection. We’ll keep you updated on what is happening with them as well. You’ll also experience the food, culture, and attractions of the ship’s four exciting ports of call: Cartagena, Colombia, Bridgetown, Barbados, Montego Bay, Jamaica, and Tampa, Florida.

This non-stop adventure begins on Monday, January 8th when cadets board the TS Kennedy. The ship departs Buzzards Bay early Saturday, January 13th. The TS Kennedy is scheduled to return on Sunday, February 25th. There will be posts each day – even on weekends.

No, you're not seeing double! 4/C Nathan Boudart (on the right side of each photo) is an identical twin. Nathan grew up in Elkton, Maryland. The town is located on the Elk River, which flows into Chesapeake Bay.

Nathan's mom, Laura, recalls that the boys were on the family's boat long before they could walk. Although it appears that the boys slept right through their first fishing trip, it would later become one of their favorite pastimes.

In anticipation of the TS Kennedy’s trip back to Cape Cod, some of our followers have been learning about the Gulf Stream. Yes, we will be one of the many ships that take advantage of this powerful current that flows north.

Look at how cute you are in your sailor suit, Nathan! Maybe one day you'll be the captain of a ship!

What was intended to be a casual comment to happy toddler was actually a look into his future. 4/C Nathan Brice is well on his way to making this prediction a reality. Nathan is here at Massachusetts Maritime Academy pursuing a degree in Marine Transportation.

Tampa, Florida and Port Days
Today was the last day of port for Sea Term 2018. Cadets took advantage of Tampa’s location, and headed to places like Disney World, Busch Gardens or even just the beach. Whatever they decided to do, everyone was enjoying the last bit of time on land before we head back to Buzzards Bay.

Pagination

Welcome aboard the T.S.Kennedy! The cadets, crew, and I are thrilled that you are participating in the 2018 Follow the Voyage program. We are bound for many exciting ports of call. I know that there will be miles of learning ahead. Please watch for new entries to my Captain's Log. I welcome your comments and questions.

Most sincerely,
Captain Michael J. Campbell

Nautical Terms

Aft - The back of a ship. If something is located aft, it is at the back of the sailboat. The aft is also known as the stern.

Ahoy - A cry to draw attention. Term used to hail a boat or a ship as “Boat ahoy!”

Berth - (sleeping): A bed or sleeping accommodation on a boat or ship.

Bow - The front of the ship is called the bow. Knowing the location of the bow is important for defining two of the other most common sailing terms; port (left of the bow) and starboard (right of the bow).

Bridge - A structure above the weather deck, extending the full width of the vessel, which houses a command center, itself called by association, the bridge.

Knot - A unit of speed: 1 nautical mile (1.8520 km; 1.1508 mi) per hour. Originally speed was measured by paying out a line from the stern of a moving boat. The line had a knot every 47 feet 3 inches (14.40 m) and the number of knots passed out in 30 seconds gave the speed through the water in nautical miles per hour.

Port - Port is always the left-had side of the boat when you are facing the bow. Because “right” and “left” can become confusing sailing terms when used in the open waters, port is used to define the left-hand side of the boat as it relates to the bow, or front.

Radar - Acronym for Radio Detection And Ranging. An electronic system designed to transmit radio signals and receive reflected images of those signals from a “target” in order to determine the bearing and distance to the “target”.

Starboard - Starboard is always the right-hand side of the boat when you are facing the bow. Because “right” and “left” can become confusing sailing terms when used out in the open waters, starboard is used to define the right-hand side of the boat as it relates to the bow, or front.